Staff Biographies and Phone Numbers

ArtsWA employs 17 staff members to implement several programs, and to conduct the administrative duties required of a state agency. In addition to full-time staff, ArtsWA relies on highly qualified contractors, interns, and volunteers who focus on specific tasks and functions that are outside the duties of the staff. ArtsWA programs include:

Glenda was hired as ArtsWA's communications manager in March 2014. Her past experience includes experience as a chief media spokesperson, speechwriter, and policy staff for public officials at the City of Puyallup, City of Auburn, Alaska Lt. Governor's Office, and for an Alaska State Senator. Her background also includes more than ten years as a public radio news director, host, and reporter; and marketing director at Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, Alaska. Glenda has served on several boards and commissions in recent years, including past board president of Puyallup's Valley Arts United, member of the Pierce County Arts Commission, and board member of the Tacoma Regional Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

Judy joined ArtsWA in July of 2013 as a contracted Poetry Out Loud coordinator, and became part of the ArtsWA staff in January, 2017. She works with the Program Manager for Arts in Education to produce the Washington State portion of the Poetry Out Loud national recitation contest. Judy works with regional coordinators as the State Coordinator, and directly manages the program in the Puget Sound. Judy is an artist from the Pacific Northwest with over 30 years of experience as a scenic designer, production manager, administrator, and producer for theatre and opera. She has worked for non-profit arts organizations throughout Pierce County including the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, the Children’s Museum of Tacoma, Tacoma Little Theatre, and the late Tacoma Actors’ Guild. Judy also works as a consultant to small non-profits, and has self-published ten titles of fiction, poetry and reflective essays.

Hannah Dahlke, Program Asisstant - Grants to Organization and Arts in EducationPhone: 360-586-0226

Hannah Dahlke joined ArtsWA in February, 2018, as the Program Assistant for Arts in Education and Grants to Organizations. Hannah is an arts educator and administrator originally from Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2010 she graduated with a Master’s degree with first class honors in the area of dance education pedagogy; and went on to teach and administer the education program within the Royal New Zealand Ballet. After moving to Seattle, Hannah involved herself in the arts education world and completed the Washington State Teaching Artist Training Lab in 2016, as well as gaining her certificate in Brain Compatible Dance Education at the Creative Dance Center in Seattle. She was most recently a staff member at Seattle Children’s Theatre where she was an Education Specialist and Executive Administrative Assistant. With over 10 years of experience as a teacher and arts administrator, Hannah enjoys increasing the accessibility of the arts to all people, as well as inspiring students creatively and artistically.

Adam has been the Conservation Technician for the Art in Public Places Program since September 2007. He facilitates art conservation projects, art handling, and partner agency support for the care of the State Art Collection. He helps shape the art conservation review process for new acquisitions to the State Art Collection. Since 2000, Adam has owned and operated a studio specializing in conservation and restoration of metal sculpture. He is a professional patineur and enjoys facilitating bronze castings for artist Philip McCracken.

Heide joined ArtsWA as Project Manager for the Art in Public Places program's My Public Art Portal in January, 2016. She is managing the growth of My Public Art Portal to eventually include the entire State Art Collection online, going back to its beginnings in 1974. She previously managed a private collection, worked in Education at Tacoma Art Museum, and was also a technical writer. She is passionate about art and collections, and loves working in an environment that includes art on a daily basis.

Paul D. Foster, Information Technology Technician

Paul joined ArtsWA in August of 2016 as a part-time Information Technology (IT) Technician for the agency, dealing with issues that correlate with the technical properties of ArtsWA. Paul will be getting his Associates in Applied Sciences through the Computer Networking Administration program at South Puget Sound Community College in the spring of 2018. Paul’s number one goal for the agency is to make sure IT related issues are addressed, given advice upon, and solved, to make sure ArtsWA’s computer system’s run smoothly twenty-four hours a day. Being an Eagle Scout, Paul likes to spend his free time hiking, camping, and participating in local community service projects for the city of Olympia.

Miguel Guillén joined ArtsWA in 2016 and currently serves as Program Manager for the Grants to Organizations program. Miguel is a seasoned arts administrator with several years of experience managing arts programs for the private sector and providing support to community-based arts organizations, small arts groups, community-based projects, and individual artists across Washington State. Additionally he is co-founder and volunteer Executive Director for La Sala (www.lasalaseattle.org), an organization that seeks to raise the profile of Latino/a artists working in Seattle and surrounding communities. Born in Mexico and raised in the Skagit Valley of Washington State, Miguel has completed the Arts Management Certificate Program from Seattle Central Community College and also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle. He is a practicing visual artist.

Janae is the Collections Manager for the Art in Public Places program, stewarding the care of the State Art Collection, as well as ongoing relationships with statewide partners. Before joining ArtsWA in 2005, Janae was the Registrar at Tacoma Art Museum. She has also held curatorial positions at the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, where she completed two undergraduate degrees at the University of Arizona, in Art History and German Studies. In addition to her work with ArtsWA, Janae has served two terms on the Olympia Arts Commission, chaired her neighborhood association for four years, and founded an advocacy group called Olympians for People-Oriented Places (O-POP), which focuses on issues of land use and planning.

Lisa Jaret, Program Manager, Arts in Education
Phone: 360.586.2418

Lisa joined ArtsWA as the Arts in Education Program Manager in September 2005. She manages the arts education grant programs, the Roster of Teaching Artists, the Poetry Out Loud program, and other projects related to supporting and strengthening K-12 arts education as part of basic education in Washington State. She is especially proud of being part of the team that developed and directs the Washington State Teaching Artist Training Lab (TAT Lab). Lisa serves as an ex officio board member for ArtsEd Washington, and has served as both member and chair of the Arts Education Advisory Group for the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. She currently serves as an ex-officio board member for ArtsEd Washington, and as a member of Governor Inslee’s “World Class Education” goal council. Lisa previously was the Administrative Director of Education Programs for Seattle Children’s Theatre. For several years, she also served on the board of Spectrum Dance Theater in Seattle. Lisa holds a BA in Humanities from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Masters in Not-For-Profit Leadership from Seattle University.

Marissa joined ArtsWA as Project Manager for Art in Public Places in April, 2015. She previously worked with Public Art San Antonio where she managed the temporary downtown art program "X MARKS THE ART” and was responsible for temporary exhibits and permanent projects in city facilities and at the airport. She also co-founded and co-directed the inaugural (sub)Urban Projections festival for the City of Eugene, OR. She holds an M.S. degree in Arts Management from the University of Oregon, and a B.A. degree in Studio Art from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Valerie joined ArtsWA in April 2016 as the writer and researcher for the Art in Public Places program's My Public Art Portal, composing interpretive descriptions of artworks and assisting in the growth of the online collection. She previously worked as the administrative lead for the publication of fine art editions at Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles. She has served as a curatorial intern at the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle and as a client services officer for Mana Fine Arts in New Jersey. She holds a M.A. degree in philosophy and the arts from SUNY Stony Brook and a B.A. in philosophy from Colorado College. Valerie lives in Olympia with her husband, cat and dog.

Leslie Pope, Executive Assistant
Phone: 360.753.3861

Leslie has worked as Executive Assistant to the ArtsWA Executive Director for over eight years, supports the 23-member ArtsWA Board, and serves as Human Resources Liaison within the agency. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, and has extensive work experience with organizations in both the public and private sectors.

Annette Roth, Program Manager, Creative DistrictsPhone: 360.586.8098

Annette joined ArtsWA in October 2017 as the Creative Districts Program Manager. She oversees the development and implementation of this statewide program, which works to prepare communities for state certification as a Creative District. Annette has a background in marketing, communications, and economic development, with experience working in non-profit, small business, and corporate environments. She is the former Marketing and Communications Director for the Thurston Economic Development Council, where as a member of the senior leadership team, she helped to design and implement creative economic development initiatives that reflected the values of residents in Thurston County. As the former co-founder of a boutique marketing and design firm in Tacoma, WA, she has experience as a small business owner. In addition to her work with ArtsWA, Annette holds adjunct faculty positions at South Puget Sound Community College and Green River Community College, teaching graphic and web design. Annette studied English at Wayne State University in Detroit MI, and is a 2013 graduate of Leadership Thurston County.

Tyler Sharp, Fiscal Technician II
Phone: 360.753.5894

Tyler Sharp came to ArtsWA on October 16, 2017 from the Department of Enterprise Services. He holds the position of Fiscal Technician II. A lifelong resident of Olympia, Tyler graduated from Capitol High School and attended South Puget Sound Community College. He says his mother inspired him to work with budgets and numbers. As a champion swimmer, Tyler spent a year at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He placed 34th in the world in 2014 after competing in an international swim meet held in Miami, Florida. Tyler is recently married. He and his wife Rebecca live in downtown Olympia with their two dogs, Hazel and Loki, and their cat, Fiesty.

Deane Shellman, Program Coordinator, Art in Public PlacesPhone: 360.753.5894

Deane came to ArtsWA in 2002, and now serves as Program Coordinator for the Art in Public Places Program, where she assists with contracting and database management and interfaces with artists. Deane holds a degree in Theatre Arts from Western Washington University. She has worked locally at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts and Harlequin Productions in various capacities, including stage and production management, business and operations, marketing, and box office, among others. Deane continues to volunteer in local theater and is currently on the board of Olympia Family Theater.

Michael Sweney, Program Manager, Art in Public Places
Phone: 360.586.2422

Mike has been with the Art in Public Places program since 2007, and was named AIPP’s Program Manager in 2011. In addition to leading the awesome public art team, he facilitates and manages public art projects throughout Washington. Mike previously served as the director of Davidson Contemporary in Seattle and the Charles Cowles Gallery in New York. He is a past Board Vice President for the Center on Contemporary Art in Seattle. Mike currently serves as the Chair of the Tacoma Arts Commission and as a member of the Tacoma Art Museum’s Collection Committee, and lives in Tacoma with his wife, their three children, and a rambunctious black lab. He holds a BA degree in Art History and Studio Art from Oberlin College.

Terry J. West, Deputy Director
Phone: 360.586-5350

Terry joined ArtsWA in February 2015 to serve as Deputy Director. As Deputy Director she serves as the chief budget and financial officer and coordinates core agency services. She has 30+ years of state government experience in budget and finance, office management, and board management. Before coming to ArtsWA, she worked as the Budget and Operations Manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. She also worked with the Departments of Licensing and Health with 12 different boards, commissions, committees, and advisory councils. Terry holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is a Washington State Certified Public Manager. She enjoys kayaking, sailing, gardening and metal art.

Chuck Zimmer is the former Deputy Director of New Mexico Arts. At New Mexico Arts Chuck created and implemented several innovative public art programs, including TIME (Temporary Installations Made for the Environment), the Centennial Project Space and the New Mexico Arts Full Immersion Dome Program. A recipient of the Pollock-Krasner Grant, his background includes an MFA from Southern Illinois University and Bachelors degrees in anthropology, art history, and fine art from the State University of New York at Potsdam. A native of New York, Chuck is also a working artist who has exhibited nationally. Besides Public Art, his experience includes teaching fine arts at the university level and extensive involvement in community theatre as a set designer and as a director.